Bridgewater Vestal’s Podcast

Under the Hood: Acceleration

If you don’t expect people to give their lives to Jesus, why talk to them about Jesus? If you don’t expect God to move, why pray? Peter and John lived in expectation and courage. God is changing lives! Put your foot on the accelerator that motivated the first church – live in expectation and courage.

Acts 3-4

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Under the Hood: The Fuel

Even the most perfectly balanced engine won’t do anything without fuel.  What is the fuel of a revival?  It is the obedience of a Christian in several key areas. 

Acts 2

Speaker: Dallas Seamans

Under the Hood: The Engine

The movement of the pistons is what gives an engine its power.  The movement and secret to the power and exponential growth of the church is something the apostle Peter called “the gospel.”  What is the gospel?  It means “good news” but it starts with really bad news: the murder of the Lord Jesus.  But God raised Jesus from the dead and if you repent you can be forgiven through Him. 

Acts 2

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Under the Hood: The Spark

A church or a Christian can look impressive, but without the Holy Spirit they will never do anything except sit and rust.  The sparkplug creates the fire that starts the engine.  What is the “spark” that all of us need in our church and life?

Acts 2

Speaker: Aaron Patton 

Under the Hood: Chassis

When most people think about change, they think about surface issues. Most New Year’s resolutions are about fitness or finance. I want to lose weight, eat better, exercise, and save money – exterior things. If life were a car, we’d spend all our time on the paint job. We can even parent this way – focusing only on the outward behavior of our kids. But God wants change to go deeper. Let’s go “under the hood” and examine the first Christians to learn how God can really change us, not just on the outside but on the inside as well.

When a car sits, the tires warp and go flat. The battery dies, the breaks rust, the fuel pump breaks down and animals move in. Cars are made to move. As we go “under the hood” in Acts to look at the early church we find the same thing. Christians aren’t just saved to believe something; we are created to do something. Move! What is God calling you to do?

Acts 1

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Summer Mixtape: 3 John

In the book of 3rd John, John calls out a man named Diotrephes, the leader of a house Church, for acting like a jerk. Diotrephes is a consumer, and life has become all about him. How do we stop being consumers and start being contributors when it comes to our walk with Jesus?

3 John 1-15

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Summer Mixtape: 2 John

Thoreau said: “Rather than love, money or fame – give me truth.” It sounds quite noble. Many today feel the opposite: “I’d rather be accused of being too loving than being too truthful.” But what if both are wrong? That’s what 2 John is about – not balancing truth and love but putting them together.

2 John 1-11

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Summer Mixtape: Jude

Remember the days of recording over cassettes or burning CDs? Having a mixtape was the perfect way to have all of your favorite songs in the same place. For the next three Sundays, we’re splicing together three short, all-time great letters in the New Testament that are just as relevant & needed today as when they were first cut.

Jude, the brother of Jesus, points out in his book that we become like whoever we listen to the most. Listening to the bad advice that is everywhere today leads to bad beliefs. And our bad beliefs always result in bad behavior. In fact, while many deny it, your behavior is the best indicator of what you really believe.

Jude 1:3-25

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Stay Out—Of My Politics!

There are two things you are never supposed to talk about in “polite” company: politics and religion. Many believe there should be a wall between them. "Jesus, stay out of my politics!" It’s better that way... or is it? What if we opened the door and asked God into our politics?

Romans 13:1-7

Speaker: Aaron Patton

Stay Out—Of My Food

Food is a significant part of our lives! It is such a regular part of our daily lives that it is very easy to give lots of thought or very little thought to our food habits. Regardless of which camp you might be in—food is important, but your heart is more important!

Matthew 15:8-11

Speaker: Aaron Patton